Guide to the Universe
by Valkyrie 497
Summary: A comprehensive guide to my take on the Transformers universe. Perfect companion piece to any and all Transformers fiction I write. Covers everything from aesthetics to Cybertronian biology and beyond.
1. Foreward

**Hello! Before we begin with the guide proper, I thought I would take the time to familiarize you all with the content that will appear within it. As I stated in the description, this is a comprehensive guide and will cover just about everything one would need or want to know about my take on this incredible universe. That includes subjects like where Transformers come from, the manner in which they age, societal views, and much, much more. I have put an enormous amount of thought into this guide, but if you feel that anything is missing or deserves to be explored in greater detail, do not be afraid to let me know. I take everything that readers say into consideration, and do not mind expanding upon the numerous subjects discussed within this guide. Thank you for taking the time to read this guide and I hope that you enjoy it.**


	2. Aesthetics

Let's start with aesthetics. As anyone who has read _Seligkeit_ would know, I write my Transformers stories with the aesthetic style of Transformers Prime and the canceled Transformers Universe game in mind. Every character uses their Transformers Prime appearance unless they have a different appearance in Transformers Universe, in which case the Transformers Universe appearance is the correct one.

Unfortunately, there are sometimes characters who appeared in neither Transformers Prime nor Transformers Universe. For these characters, I either use their appearance in War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron (as is the case with Silverbolt) or I search around for their appearance in other pieces of Hasbro's Aligned continuity (as I did with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who use their appearance in the Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe book). This process is mainly determined by whether or not the character was on Earth when the story began.

To assist me in crafting each scene with the design of the characters in mind, I compiled a large number of links to numerous images of nearly every character in my stories. Due to the fact that Fanfiction does not allow the posting of URLs without some tweaking to get them past the website's algorithms, I won't share these links unless there is a reasonable amount of demand for them. I apologize, but it is more work than I would like to expend on something without any idea of how much use it will get.


	3. Story and Characterization

Due to the Aligned continuity possessing quite possibly the most complete look at Cybertronian history, most historical events in my stories are identical to those in the established fiction of the Aligned continuity. However, my stories do break away in numerous places, the most obvious of which being the change in characters on Earth, how and when they arrived on Earth, and the events transpiring on Earth.

Thanks to the unfortunate cancellation of Transformers Universe and the end of Transformers Prime, and the likelihood of another High Moon Transformers game rapidly disappearing, I am sadly left with more than a handful of characters who never really had a chance to get their personality and backstory fleshed out. Because of this, I am often forced to guess at how a character would act, what type of mannerisms they'd possess, and other time consuming tasks like that. To help fill in the gaps and build better characters, I look no further than the IDW Transformers comics. The comics are heavily character-driven, and usually provide me with inspiration for various characters. Case-in-point, a lot of Valkyrie's character is inspired by Megatron's character in More Than Meets the Eye.


	4. Cybertronians Part 1

**Warning: Section does deal with the topic of sexual relations among Cybertronians. Don't like, don't read.**

This and the following chapters will delve into Cybertronians. The first part will deal with how Transformers come about.

Now, as The Covenant of Primus clearly states, Cybertronians normally originate from the Well of Allsparks, a massive pit leading straight to Cybertron's very core. These Cybertronians are given shape by Onyx Prime's Triptych Mask. Once they emerge from the Allspark, they spend approximately one Earth year climbing a spiraling staircase leading out of the Well of Allsparks. Along the wall of the Well, Cybertron itself has recorded all of Cybertronian history, as well as language. During their journey, these newly formed Cybertronians grow to the size of a mature adult Cybertronian, all the while learning anything they need to know about the world they will soon be a part of.

That last sentence deserves some explanation, which I am more than happy to give. Often, I see many fanfictions where sparklings come about, but I have never seen an explanation for how the sparkling grows, since we are talking about a metallic being. So, I've gone with the typical science fiction answer of nanomachines. As the Cybertronians make their way out of the Well, nanomachines build up the bodies, using the surrounding elements for building materials. These nanomachines are essentially the Cybertronian equivalent to the cells that make up the bodies of organic organisms.

Note that I did say that Cybertronians _normally_ come from the Well of Allsparks, but not always. Cybertronians also possess a means of reproduction. The process is similar to that seen in organic mammalian species. The male (mech) genitalia is referred to as a spike, and the female (femme) genitalia is referred to as a valve. Cybertronian intercourse almost always ends in a portion of the involved individuals sparks combining together within the femme's gestational chamber. Thus, a sparkling (in some instances, sparklings) is formed. The sparkling will develop a body within the femme's gestational chamber for about 7 Earth months before becoming capable of surviving outside of the gestational chamber. At this time, the femme will "give birth" in similar fashion to most mammalian species, though the process is relatively painless for Cybertronians.

Once the sparkling is "born," it is up to the mother (carrier) and father (sire) to educate the sparkling about Cybertronian history and language. As with Well-born Cybertronians, these sparklings will have grown to mature size through the same processes.

Once a Cybertronian climbs out of the Well or reaches about 1 Earth year of age, they are capable of taking on an alternate mode. Most Cybertronians are outfitted with a standard T-Cog, which facilitates only one alternate mode. However, a lucky few possess an advanced T-Cog, which allows them to have two alternate modes. There have also been reports of some Cybertronians having up to six alternate modes, but no evidence currently exists to support those claims.


	5. Cybertronians Part 2

Continuing with our talk about Cybertronians, this section will deal with the topic of alternate modes.

After the events that lead the original 13 into seclusion, Cybertron began producing new life to populate its surface. At first, the creatures that emerged from the Well were extremely basic, most not even capable of the act of transformation. As the deluge of lifeforms continued, however, more advanced forms of life began to emerge. Nearing the end of the deluge, Cybertronians as we know them today began to emerge. Alongside them came some of the first beings capable of utilizing an alternate mode, though their processors were relatively primitive by comparison. They were called Maximals, due to their bestial alternate modes. Maximals were rapidly taken in as pets and beasts of burden by the early Cybertronians. Sadly, domestication had the unfortunate consequence of nearly eradicating transformation capabilities in Maximals, leaving what could have one day been equals to Cybertronians as nothing more than beasts.

The final beings to emerge from the Well were a handful of massive creatures, heavily reminiscent of reptilian species seen on Earth. These creatures, due to their highly predatory nature, were called Predacons. The Predacons were extremely intelligent and capable of transformation, though the latter attribute was used very sparingly (read: almost never). The beast modes of Predacons were efficient at hunting and killing prey, so their bipedal forms were rarely seen. Unfortunately, their intelligence and hunting prowess were not enough to save them from the cataclysmic events that rocked Cybertron's early days. As spatial bodies ripped the surface of Cybertron apart, the Predacons chose to remain above ground, much to their misfortune. Predacons have not been seen since, and fossilized remains lead many to believe them extinct.

As the millennia passed, the bipedal Cybertronians still had not learned how to utilize their T-Cogs, but they were content regardless. It wasn't until the Quintessons, a creation of Quintus Prime, arrived at Cybertron that the power of the T-Cog was realized. The Quintessons manipulated the Cybertronians into serving them by claiming that the T-Cog was a piece of technology that only they could unlock. It was through the efforts of individuals like Ratchet that the truth was revealed and the Cybertronians were able to rise up against the Quintesson oppression. Many Cybertronians, including Megatron, still bear a great deal of hatred toward the Quintessons, though contact with the species has been nonexistent since they were driven from Cybertron.

 **EDIT: Due to request, this section has been expanded upon.**

Returning to the subject of the Maximals, their alternate modes resembled mammalian and other, non-reptilian vertebrate species, especially those witnessed on Earth. Comparable Earth species include, but are not limited to, canines, felines, bovines, birds, primates, equines, and rodents. Since the emergence of the original Maximals, none have come from the Well of Allsparks. Instead, Maximals rely purely upon methods of reproduction to maintain any semblance of a stable population.

The most unfortunate side effect of the Maximals reliance upon reproduction was a much smaller population compared to the Cybertronians. This was made all the more evident during the civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Battles between the two factions almost always saw the obliteration of Maximal habitats. Following the departure of Megatron and Optimus Prime, much of the fighting on Cybertron subsided. Sadly, even in the millenia that has passed since then, Maximals are still on the verge of extinction. Reports from the Protectobots, a special operations group of Autobots currently stationed in the Sea of Rust, indicate that Shockwave took an unsettling interest in the remaining Maximals about 8 solar cycles ago. Later reports indicate this interest stopped abruptly around 6 solar cycles ago. Investigation is currently ongoing.

Now, going back to the Quintessons, they ruled Cybertron without question for decades. They pulled Cybertron into an age of civility and order. They promised cooperation and peace. But it was all lies. In truth, the Quintessons wished only to enslave the Cybertronians. During their reign, Cybertron saw the birth of a caste system, and thus began the end of Cybertronians with names or individual desires. Of note is an individual known simply as D-16.

The lies of the Quintessons were revealed thanks to the efforts of numerous individuals under orders from Sentinel Zeta Prime. Shockwave became a noteworthy figure for translating the Quintesson language, and Prowl and Bluestreak revealed the master plan of the Quintessons. The Cybertronians were being used as slave labor, and would be carted around via space bridges that the Quintessons were constructing. Dissident Cybertronians were to be wiped out by the Quintessons' Sharkticons.

The final nail in the coffin came via Ratchet. Broadcasting from the Well of Allsparks, Ratchet welcomed the latest Cybertronian into the world. This was Silverbolt, and through him, Ratchet revealed to every Cybertronian that the T-Cog was theirs to control. Thus, revolution raged across Cybertron, and the Quintessons were soon evicted from the planet and, eventually, the system.


End file.
